Snowballing (Right into you)
by Sevi007
Summary: Winter rolls around with snow in tow, much to Eva's joy, and she is determined to share it with Sparda. He, meanwhile, is more willing to follow her lead than she might yet realize.


For the first time in years, they got snow even before the holidays rolled around.

It snuck up on them, quietly, overnight. No weather forecast had reported snow for the coming days. It was just there one morning when they woke up, inch upon inch of a white blanket over everything.

Eva felt like a child on Christmas morning as she rose and spotted the surprise just out the window. All sleepiness was forgotten, and she was up in no time, trying to remember the week day, pleased when she found it would be a free day not only for her.

She couldn't wait to share this sight.

Her morning routine was done in record time. It was a miracle she didn't make herself sick with how fast she finished breakfast. She was still gnawing on a corner of her toast while throwing her wardrobe open, digging up winter clothing she hadn't needed yet.

She was out the front door while still pulling her hat over locks which had only been hastily brushed, humming while she zipped her coat all the way up, wrestling her scarf into submission right after.

The smile that first appeared on her face when her boots sank into crunching white powder didn't leave her face the entire short walk to her friend's house.

Sparda had little time to gather his bearings when he opened the door to her insistent knocking. There was a frown on his face, one corner of his mouth tilting downwards in what could be annoyance over being disturbed on one of the rare days his job hadn't called him in.

Recognition had only just melted the frown of his face and turned it into a smile when Eva already burst out, "Go on a walk with me?"

Bemusement flickered over his face before he shook his head and chuckled, expression softening entirely. Opening the door a little wider and stepping aside for her, he greeted "Good morning to you too, Eva."

"Good morning!" Shuffling past him, careful to tap off the worst of the snow from her boots before she entered, Eva tiptoed to press a kiss to his cheek. Rocking back, she insisted, "So?"

He didn't understand; she could see it in the way he tilted his head at her, in the way his fingers rubbed together as he tried to piece it together. But then, he rarely ever questioned her, much less denied her anything.

She was smiling in victory before he had even finished his sentence. "Let me grab my coat."

* * *

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* * *

The powdery white crunched under their boots as they walked, arms linked together, talking about everything and nothing. Not many people crossed their path; the few who did seemed set on getting back into their own warm homes rather than be out in the cold any longer than necessary. Once they had wandered beyond the city's borders and no houses were there to provide protection against the constant light breeze, the street was deserted. Eva ducked instinctively closer into her friend's side, shuddering under the cold creeping into every gap.

It didn't go unnoticed.

"I'm starting to believe you invited me along in lieu of a portable heater."

The dryness in his voice didn't even give Eva pause. Seeing right through it, she laughed heartily at the comment and, if anything, only tucked closer into his side, patting the arm linked with hers. "I promise it was to share this with you… mostly."

"_Mostly_." Mirth shone in Sparda's eyes as he shot her a look which likely should have pretended to be chastising.

"You _do _run on the warmer side," a shrug. She wouldn't even try to pretend that the heat he seemed to exude _constantly_ was especially nice considering the cold wind's bite. He must have known it himself, too. After all, the man hadn't even bothered in dressing any different from his usual attire – coat hanging open over a simple shirt, no scarf, no gloves. The cold seemed unable to get through to him.

She could have sworn she saw the snow melt around him when they paused their walk one time, even.

His arm slipped out of her loose hold, instead encircling her shoulders and pulling her closer into his side. "Why the desire for a walk, then, if the cold bothers you?"

"It doesn't _bother _me," Eva insisted. "I'm perfectly fine if I dress appropriately. And don't stay out for hours." A thought occurred to her, and she poked his side with a grin. "I'm not going to get _frostbite, _you know."

Sparda snorted at her, yet his shoulders actually relaxed a fraction, making her laugh. He had been worried about her well-being, hadn't he? Charming, but quite unnecessary.

"Besides," she continued, stopping in her walk. He followed her example, and she nodded at the landscape around them – most of the white still untouched, pristine in its glittering brightness, the entire world still and silent like a painting. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

There was no answer at that, long enough that it had her pause and look up, wondering. He was watching her when their gazes met, eyes crinkling as he saw her confusion. Reaching to tuck her scarf tighter around her, knuckles brushing her cheek as he did– a brand of heat against the icy skin – he answered slowly, "That it is."

She beamed, pleased to find they agreed on this.

They continued on, pace unhurried. "Although I thought your favorite season is spring."

"It is!" Strange, how he had remembered that, when she couldn't even recall when she had told him this little tidbit. "But winter has its own charm. And when I say charm, I'm talking about the snow, of course."

"Of course." He failed to hide his grin in his collar, and she chuckled good naturedly at him.

"See, you understand. Snow is just… so beautiful. And fun. I loved it since I was a child, and I still do."

"Hm-hm."

For a while there was only the sound of their breath and the crunch of their boots between them as they walked. Sparda seemed to ponder something, gaze distant. Familiar with such mood swings, Eva fell silent, waiting. She wouldn't expect too much. Sometimes when such a mood struck him, he resurfaced from it only to change the subject immediately, never mentioning what he had been thinking about. On such occasions, she tended to leave it, accepting his privacy.

This time wasn't such a time. Clearing his throat gently, Sparda began to talk, voice soft. "I had not seen real snow before coming here."

The meaning of _here _was not lost on Eva, and she sucked in a surprised breath. That must have been… very, very long ago.

He must have noticed her surprise, since his eyes held a twinkle when he glanced at her. "Imagine my surprise when I first experienced it."

Immediately she tried – tried to picture a younger Sparda, one without decades and centuries of knowledge of the human world, taking in the new phenomenon with eyes full of wonder.

Tried and failed; the idea of what he had looked like, what he had _been _like, proved too hard to grasp.

Still she couldn't help the wistful smile as she nudged his shoulder. "Wish I could have seen that."

A quiet laugh. "A sight to behold, I'm sure."

"One for the ages," Eva agreed easily, sharing a smile with him. Then something occurred to her, and she frowned. "Wait, but then... I thought you had colder climates, too, back in…?"

Trailing off, she let the question hang in the air between them much like her clouding breath, unsure how to finish what she started. Hell was a difficult subject to talk about for him, she had found. It had once been his domain, too; now it was sore reminder and enemy and sometimes longed for all at once. A home turned enemy territory.

Searching and finding his gaze when he tilted his head to look at her, Eva tried to gauge if she had ruined the peace between them.

The hand on her shoulder squeezed, gentle, but she couldn't see his expression, which did nothing to assuage her worries.

"Of course we had cold climates as well. However, the majority of it was ice," Sparda's free hand gestured at the scenery around them, encompassing it. "Too cold even for snow. It was all frozen solid."

The words brought the image harsh beauty and deadly cold with it. Eva shuddered despite herself, tucking closer to her personal source of warmth unconsciously. "You know, I think I prefer snow."

A smirk was sent her way before he looked away again. It didn't quite reach his eyes. "So do I."

Eva's heart squeezed painfully, and she barely swallowed a sigh. The subject _was _a sore one then, a shadow from the past that creeped in and stayed. She didn't know what, exactly, he remembered when he thought of the icy parts of hell – it couldn't have been good things, though, if his shoulders locked up like this and his gaze strayed so far away.

This was the last thing she had meant to do. She had wanted to share this with him. A free day full of peace and laughter; not reminiscing.

Wondering how she could salvage this, she let her gaze wander as well. Even though the mood had changed, the landscape around them lay as peaceful as before, breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely unhelpful. How saddening, that talking about something innocent as snow had ruined it…

Something clicked in her mind, memories of winter's from her childhood resurfacing. Of laughter and innocence and s_now. _

She paused, slipping out from under Sparda's arm since he did not immediately stop.

She _would_ put a smile back on his face.

By the time he had shaken off whatever haunted him long enough to notice her absence and turn, searching for her, she had already bent and stood back up and was ready.

"Eva, what is…?"

Her snowball hit him straight on, right above the eye.

A good shot, she thought proudly, watching as it splattered, knocking a few strands of hair loose. Now this, too, was a sight to see – Dark Knight Sparda, splattered with snow thrown by her hand, blinking slowly at her, holding inhumanly still as he seemed to struggle to process the events which had just taken place.

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Eva patted the second missile she had started to prepare into shape. All the while, she lifted an eyebrow at him, aiming for lofty. "What? Don't tell me this is your first snowball fight?"

She could all but s_ee _the screws turning in his mind. She willed them along, breathless, hoping she hadn't just made it all worse.

_Please understand. _

_I just can't stand seeing you get lost in your head like that. _

Then, after what seemed like a tiny eternity, finally, _finally _a smile spread over his formerly blank face, and his eyes light up.

"_Eva_," said in a rumble like that, her name sent a shiver down her spine that had absolutely nothing to do with winter's bite. "Do you think challenging me is a good idea?"

There was no fear; she laughed him in the face, aiming. "The best I ever had."

And the second snowball, the one that should have hit him square in the face, exploded against his shoulder as he ducked away the tiniest bit.

The grin he sent her way was positively wolfish.

The game was _on_.

He was faster and stronger than her in every way. By all means, he should have had the upper hand in this right from the start. Yet Eva had managed to catch him off-kilter with this, or maybe he didn't really try; she got two more good shots in before he even thought to bend down and prepare his own ammunition – only to swear, uncharacteristically so, as the snow started to melt in his palms immediately, giving him no chance to shape it in any way.

His expression of surprise and then immediate resign made Eva completely forget about getting a safe distance between them. She outright _cackled_ at him, nearly dropping her new load of snow in her mirth.

The look he flashed her from under wet hair made her remember about the trouble she would be in if she got caught – threat and promise all in one - and still giggling and with an unladylike snort, she darted away, off the street and down the slope of the hill into deeper snow.

Instantly she realized two things – one, she had underestimated just how deep the snow off the beaten track really was, and two, how much it would slow down her escape. Her legs sank into the white nearly up to her knees as she landed, stumbling, almost toppling over. It was her turn to bite back a swear; she had to flail to get her balance back and then hastening to keep going, hands already grasping for new powder to shape. She could only hope Sparda would spare her a modicum of a chance to make this somewhat even, else this fight would be over fairly quick.

As if on cue, a load of half-molten snow smacked against her back, and she yelped as it nearly sent her sprawling face-first into the snow. "Hey!"

Deep laughter resounded from somewhere behind her, and another handful slapped against her shoulder. "You started it."

There was no arguing with that. Still, she retaliated by half turning and pitching her not-quite-finished missile in the approximate direction of his voice. A wet _Smack _told her he hadn't bothered to dodge. "No regrets!"

"Not _yet_, you mean."

They had reached even ground by now; Eva first, bolting as soon as her feet stopped sliding downhill. Sparda was right behind her, she could hear his crunching footsteps behind her, slower than a chase really warranted, but still shadowing hers. He could have easily caught up to her yet lingered.

She turned around mid-motion, still going as fast as she could, to determine how much distance there was between them. Instantly she came to regret it; the sight alone made her stumble again, giggles dying down as she almost swallowed her tongue.

The snowballs she had hit him with had long melted already, soaking through his already thin shirt and all but molding it to his form. Sparda didn't seem to take much notice of it, nor from the wet strands of hair plastered to his face. He was smirking, eyes alight with laughter, color high in his cheek from excitement or exertion or both, while he strolled after her as if he had all the time in the world to catch up to her.

Which meant that Eva was probably supposed to _back away _again, but she found that she couldn't. Her brain seemed to have short circuited, only a weak little voice in her mind pointing out that it was _completely unfair just how good he could look without even trying _and then, a bit more firmly, insisting that there was _very likely a rule against ogling one's best friend. _

Which didn't really stop her, per se, from doing just that. Eva was only human, after all, one who had more and more been taking notice of her friend as, well, something _more_, on top of it all. No one could blame her, truly, they couldn't.

But then with her mind slowly working again, she registered that her staring was becoming much too obvious, and flushed. Clearing her throat and shaking her head vigorously to try and clear it, she took a step back. Time to just forget about what had happened, go back to the innocent fun of snowball fights…

And then her thoughts stuttered to another abrupt halt as her foot caught on the other as she lifted it, dragging her other leg out from under her. She threw her arms up, flailing about to find her balance again, making it worse – and fell. She didn't even have time to scream, before her world tilted, too surprised by it all.

Sparda was there in an instant; one moment, up was down and she screwed her eyes closed to brace for impact in the cold, and the next, arms wrapped securely around her and there was only _warm, solid, safe. _

Snow exploded around them as they landed, Eva much softer –and warmer - than she had anticipated. Still, the impact knocked the breath out of her, and she just stayed where she was while the ice crystals settled slowly around them, trying to calm her racing heart.

A quiet grunt and movement beneath her. Then gentle fingers stroked her cheek, pushing loose strands of hair aside. She refused to look up, which turned the stroking into gentle prodding. "Eva? Are you alright?"

"Fine," Eva mumbled into the solid chest she was trying to hide in. "Mortified, but fine."

Hopefully he would think she only meant the fall in itself and conveniently forget her staring…

_Get it together, woman. _

A pause, then, with thinly veiled humor, "Actually, you should probably be proud."

The musing words made her pause in her self-chastising, and Eva carefully sat up so she could look down at him, immediately missing the warmth of him as the cold air reached her face again. "_Proud?_ Explain, please."

He looked entirely too comfortable beneath her (and she tried to shove the thought of their position far, far away); sprawled in the white, one hand behind his head and the other playing the zipper of her coat, somehow appearing rumpled and put together all at once as he regarded her with amusement. "There's not many who can boast about sweeping me off my feet."

Eva gaped for a second, before an incredulous laugh burst out of her. "Oh my god."

"And _accidentally_, even."

"Please just let me fall on my ass next time. I think that would be less mortifying."

His laughter shook her through, making her grin back. Instantly she felt lighter – banter, she was used to, the easy back and forth comforting after her short lapse.

Then she shook again, shuddering for an entirely different reason. One that had more to do with rivulets of cold water slipping into her collar and running down her back.

Sparda noticed, of course he did. His laughter ended far too abruptly and before she could stop him, he was sitting up – her face suddenly even with his chest again – and pulled her closer, tucking her into an embrace that was almost _too hot_ after the cold. "You're _freezing_, Eva."

"I'm fine," Eva tried, trailing off with a sigh of relief as a warm palm pushed her hair and scarf aside and cupped her neck, anyway. Oh, but despite her insistence, that _was_ quite lovely. "I will warm up in no time when we're home."

"Then that's where we're going. _Now_." His voice left no room for argument, even though she would have tried. Any further protests from her side were lost in a yelp, however, when he easily stood _with her, _lifting her as if she weighed nothing. She could only throw her arms up and around his neck as he strode off, making his way back up the slope towards the street. "Sparda! I can _walk…!" _

"This will be much faster."

"But…!"

"There really is no point in you getting sick."

Taking one look at his set jaw and the storm of emotions in his eyes, Eva sighed with an eye roll. He was worried; too worried in her opinion. But there would be no arguing with him, not like this. Yet she also didn't want him to get lost in it, not again. So instead she simply buried her face in the crook of his neck. The icy tip of her nose must have been a shock against his warm skin, but he didn't even flinch, just hummed.

"Sparda?" No matter how quietly she mumbled, she knew he caught it.

A quick glance down – then lingering as he noticed her hiding her face. He stopped walking, his full attention on her. "Yes, Eva?"

Even though his voice held a sigh, it was lighter than before, fondness curling there. So Eva chanced a glance, saw him looking back, and smiled, reaching one hand out to cup his cheek. "Want to know another thing I love about winter?"

The stern look melted entirely off his face as he nuzzled against her hand, soaking wet glove and all, and his lips twitched. "Tell me."

Her smile only grew. _Now that's better_.

"Hot chocolate."

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They parted ways for a short time afterwards, so Sparda could grab a fresh change of dry clothes. He had insisted he would be fine, the clothing would dry soon enough, but Eva had insisted – both because the clinging, cold cloth couldn't be comfortable, and for her own continued sanity. (Still human, after all).

She couldn't stop him from accompanying her to her door first, however, even though they had passed his home on the way there. They bickered and bantered the entire way ("_I will be fine!" – "And I would like to make sure of that"_) until Eva had entered her _warm_ _and dry home_ with a pointed look at him and he had acquiesced with a snort and a mocking little bow before retracing their path alone.

He was back so fast she would have suspected him using portals again, had she really thought about it. She barely had time to shed her many layers of clothing, switch into something more comfortable, start on the chocolate and get two large mugs out before she heard the front door open and close again. She called back to let him know where she was while tiptoeing for one of the top shelves, fingertips missing her target ever so slightly.

Huffing, Eva stuck her tongue out in concentration and tried again. Why had her past self though it a good idea to put the marshmallows all the way up there? Likely to hide it from her own sweet tooth, but still, the _nerve_.

A hand appeared in her view, easily picking up the bag at the same time she became aware of his warmth right behind her. She sighed in relief and fell back to her feet, opening her mouth to thank him.

Only to stay that way, gaping like a fish, as she felt a kiss being pressed to the crown of her head.

"Um," Eva blinked, fighting the urge to reach up and touch the spot. She could still feel it, like a warm, glowing spot, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. Still slightly poleaxed, she turned, looking up at him with what she knew must have been utter bafflement. "Thank… you? What was that for?"

"A thank you", Sparda smiled, eyes crinkling as he offered her the bag of marshmallows. She grabbed it automatically, having forgotten why she had even needed it in the first place. "For sharing this day with me."

"You're welcome…?"

And just like that he turned and left the kitchen, calling something over his shoulder about knowing where she kept the cookies to go with it, a comment that fell entirely on deaf ears.

There and gone so easily. As if he had not just blindsided her, once again. As if he hadn't just sent her heart racing and tripping, once again.

She couldn't shake the tiny hope that he would there to catch it, should it finally fall for him entirely.

The hissing of the hot chocolate in its pot started Eva out of her musings and she jumped, whirling to pull the pot of the stove before it could burn. A litany of muttered curses later, she was fairly sure it was still alright and sagged with a sigh, trying to catch her breath around her heart that beat, beat, _beat_.

_Shush now, you're not a teenager! _She reprimanded herself sternly.

"Eva?"

"Coming!"

But no matter how she reprimanded and took deep breaths, she couldn't – wouldn't – banish the wide smile from her face.

(Especially not when only a short time later, she watched Sparda take his very first sip of her famous hot chocolate while sitting across from her, and the wonder and delight on his expression as he took the second one made her think that maybe, just _maybe, _she did, after all, have an idea what his younger self might have looked like, back then. And she would treasure it like the precious thing it was.)

* * *

**snowball into (something)**

_To develop quickly and progressively into something bigger, more complex, more difficult, more dangerous, etc._

* I don't know all that much about Hell - DMCs Hell especially - but from what I've seen, it's not a place where I would anticipate something seemingly innocent and joyful like nice, powdery snow. So thus my decision that Hell has only ice, like in Cerberus' domain. It seemed kind of more fitting.

* I'm trying to keep them falling for each other - or transitioning from friends to couple - very... slow. Natural. It all links together with the other fics I wrote about them in this series, so Eva is at teh point of having a light to serious crush on her best friend. Sparda though? Already in love. I hope that shone through here, I was trying to be subtle, since the narrative was on Eva.


End file.
